Method of making a wheel



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METHOD OF MAKING A WHEEL Filed May 1, 1954r HCM,

INVENTOR.

` ATTORNEY.

y CAROLUSLEKSERQAN.

Patented `Mandlr, c

y U-NiTED? sum y y @il l., 2,073,924

rPMN-11ifr "OFFICE 4METHOD or" MAKING A WHEEL Carolus L. Eksergan, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Budd Wheel Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation ot `Pennsylvania `Application May 1, 1934, Serial No. 723,306

A s claims. (c1. ,e9-459.03) My invention `relates to wheels and particularly to sheet-metal other vehicles.

One object of my invention is to provide a simwheels for automobiles and pliedmethod of fabricating and assembling a `vehicle wheel of a" particular type embodying complementary front and `rear body elements which form a composite hollow body.

Another object of my inventionis toprovide I a wheel that shall not only facilitate the above- `mentioned method but that shall have advantages `whether the wheel is constructed by this method or not. l

"Another object` of my invention is to provide la `a Wheel thatshall beof light weight without sacrificing necessary strength, simple and durable in construction, adapted to facilitatefweldf ing of its parts, economical to manufacture, ornamental in appearance, and effective in its operation. as well as to have otheradvantages incident thereto. .l

`The construction, the method of fabrication and assembly, and the advantages appertaining thereto will be made apparent from the followl ing description and the accompanying drawing, inwhich, 1

Figure 1` is aview, in front elevation, of one half of an artillery wheel constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 isan enlarged view, in l axial section through one of the spokes,*of the structure shown p inFigure 1and` l Figure 3 is a view similar to a portion of Figure 2,-of a variation of structure of a wheel em- V bodying the invention.' l

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a front spider, prefat the outer ends by elements or end portions 8, V.a conical nave Ill and avradially inner mounting plate portion having a substantially wheel plane l surface I2. A thin gauge hub shell or cap I4 of any suitable construction, is provided at a position at the front of the wheel.

`lent sheet metal, embodies spoke or leg portions I6 having forwardly turned edges conforming,`

and preferably flash we1ded,`to the front spoke portion 1 'to` provide composite tubular' 'spokes of smooth rounded contour, an annular bead Il of channel section adjacent to the spokes, a forwardly sloping portion I8` and a wheel plane portion I9 preferably spot welded to the surface I2 l of the front spider.`

A drop center or other form rim 20 is secured erably ofrelativelyheavy gauge stainless sheet steel, has rear opening channel spokes 1, closed A rear spider,- preferably of thin gauge resilto theV portions 8, as by rivets 2|, by welding or other means.

In fabricating the rear spider, its parts l1 and I9 are so shaped and conditioned, relative to the other parts thereof, that, when placed next to *the front spider, these parts respectively occupy positions 22 and 23, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. l l Y In these positions, a space is provided radially inwardly of the spiders such that, after the spoke portions of the spiders have been welded `together, a backing plateor tool may be thrust radially outwardly through the spokes to effect upsetting of the rivets 2 I. A welding tool or other implement could likewise be employed. It is thus possible to secure the inner portion of the wheel `including the nave and spokes as a unit to the rim, thereby avoiding warping of the parts` with- `outthe necessity for elaborate jigs or other means for holding the parts during assembling.

` After such operation, the partsll and I9 are bent orl pressed forwardly to the full line posi- ,t-ions,v whereby to form,lwith the nave I0, and

the portion l I-I..a. closed hollow annulus.

Having the bead I'l adjacent to the spokes, or near the outer limits of vthe above-mentioned hollow annulus, not only facilitates the abovedescribed assembly operation, by permitting easy i bending of the parts radially inwardly thereof,

but also, as a structural feature, compensates for any relative weaving, caused by axial wheel thrust or radial yield, to reduce any strains on the welded joints between the spiders. Having `the parts I9 and I2 in broadside wheel plane tively expansiverear edges of the heavy gauge front spider spokes.

Although I have shown and described particular methods and forms embodying this invention, changes may be effected therein without departing from the generic spirit and scope l thereof set'forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a process for making a wheel including complementary spiders providing tubular spokes and a hollow nave radially inwardly thereof, the method of fabrication and assembly which cornprises forming the inner portion of the annulus of one of said spiders to stand away from the annulus of the other spider, when assembled to provide an opening into the hollow nave and tubular spokes in securing a rim to the spokes by an operation including the extension of an element or elements radially outwardly through the spokes, and in bending said inner portion against the other spider and securing it thereto, thereby closing the opening.

2. The method according to claim 1 including the step of forming an annular bead in the part of the annulus to be bent by displacing from the main body portions thereof.

3. In a process for making a wheel including complementary spiders providing tubular spokes and a hollow nave radially inwardly thereof, the method of fabrication and assembly which comprises forming the inner portion of the annulus of one of said spiders to stand away from the annulus of the other spider when assembled to provide an opening into the hollow nave and tubular spokes, in eiecting an operation through said opening and in finally bending said inner portion against the other spider and securing it thereto, thereby closing said opening.

CAROLUS L. EKSERGIAN. 

